Air conditioner warranty: who is responsible if it breaks

In short. Two parties are responsible: the manufacturer for factory defects, the installer for their work. Call the installer first: they come out, find the cause, and either fix their own mistake or file the defect with the supplier. If the unit was installed by random people with no warranty, there is no one to hold to account.

Who is responsible for what?

Why does the installation warranty matter so much?

Most problems with a new air conditioner come from the installation, not the factory. Refrigerant escapes through a bad joint, the compressor runs short of refrigerant and overheats.

“Badly flared pipes lead to a leak: the unit does not cool, the compressor overheats, the unit burns out — and there is nothing you can do, you have to buy a new one. And you have no warranty either on the installation or from the shop, because the shop says: “Go to whoever installed it,” and their number is unreachable, and that is that.”

— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 19:09 · chapter on our site

So look not only at the warranty on the unit, but also at the warranty on the work. Ours is 2 years, as long as manufacturers usually give on the unit.

“We give a two-year warranty on installation. … It is practically like the warranty on the equipment: the standard warranty now is 24 months, and ours is the same.”

— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 19:09 · chapter on our site

Whom do you call if the air conditioner breaks?

Whoever installed it. Even if you suspect a factory fault: an installation error has to be ruled out first, and only the party responsible for the installation can do that.

“First of all, of course, people come to us, the installers, because we have to come out and diagnose it: did this happen through our fault or the manufacturer’s. … Our customer does not need to call anyone else: if they bought the air conditioner from us and we installed it, we take full responsibility for this product.”

— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 24:00 · chapter on our site

Under warranty, diagnostics are free if the cause is the installation or a factory defect. We fix installation errors ourselves and file factory defects with the brand’s distributor: repair or replacement.

From what day does the warranty run?

The two warranties start on different dates, and that is easy to miss.

“The warranty starts from the moment the air conditioner is installed: we started up the unit — and gave the installation warranty. … From the manufacturer — from the moment of sale. They sold it to you, printed the receipt — that is it, the unit is, you could say, already under warranty.”

— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 52:14 · chapter on our site

The takeaway is simple: if you buy a unit early and install it a year later, half of the manufacturer’s warranty is already used up. Buy when you are ready to install. The manufacturer’s exact terms are in the warranty card for the specific model.

Which documents should you keep?

• The receipt for the unit: the manufacturer’s warranty runs from its date.
• The warranty card stamped by the company that did the installation. We stamp it and issue a receipt for the work.
• The installation contract.
• Cleaning records in the card: with us, an annual cleaning extends the installation warranty by a year, up to 5 years in total.

What are Arctica Service’s terms?

• 2 years on the unit — the manufacturer’s warranty; we handle the claim with the distributor.
• 2 years on installation: line tightness, drain, unit mounting, wiring.
• Up to 5 years on installation with an annual cleaning by us.
• If you bought the unit from us and we installed it, you only need to call us.

All the terms are on the warranty page; how installation works is on the installation page. You can buy the unit in iute 0 % instalments: they cover the equipment, installation is paid after it is done.